Scientific work

1. Benoit, J. B., J. A. Yoder, D. Sammataro and L. W. Zettler. 2004. Mycoflora and fungal vector capacity of the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) in honey bee (Hymenoptera :Apidae) colonies. International J. Acarology. 30(2): 103-106.

2. Cicero, J. M. and D. Sammataro. 2010. The salivary glands of adult female Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae), an ectoparasite of the Honeybee, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Internat. J. Acarology. 36 (5): 377-86.

3. Dietemann, V., Pflugfelder, J., Anderson, D., Charrière, J.D., Chejanovsky, N., Dainat,. B., de Miranda, J.R., Delaplane, K.S., Dillier, F.X., Fuchs, S., Gallmann, P., Gauthier, L., Imdorf, A., Koeniger, N. , Kralj, J., Meikle, W., Pettis, J., Rosenkranz, P., Sammataro, D., Smith, D., Yañez, O., Neumann, P. 2012. Varroa destructor: research avenues towards sustainable control. J. Apic. Research. 51(1): 125-132. DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.51.1.15

4. Finley J. and D. Sammataro. 2008. Single-frame method to obtain several age-specific immature worker or drone honey bee cohorts, Apiacta. 43:1-11.

5. Meikle, W. G., D. Sammataro and G. Mercadier. 2011. Biological control of honey bee pests. In Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions. Sammataro/Yoder, eds. CRC Press: Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 55-62.

6. Meikle, W. G., D. Sammataro, P. Neumann, J. Pflugfelder. 2012. Challenges for developing biopesticides against Varroa destructor mites (Mesostigamata: Varroidae). Apidologie. DOI: 10.1007/s13592-012-0118-0.

7. Meikle, W. G., J. M. Patt and D. Sammataro. 2012. Intraspecific competition effects on Small Hive Beetles, Aethina tumida (Col.: Nitidulidae). J. Econom. Entomol. 105(1): 26-33. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC11273

8. Needham, G.R., U. Gerson and D. Sammataro. 1999. Introduction. In: Mites of the Honey Bee. Webster T.C., K.S. Delaplane, ed. Hamilton, IL: Dadant & Sons.

9. Ostiguy, N., D. Sammataro. 1999. A simplified technique for counting varroa sticky boards. Apidologie, 31:707-16.

10. Robacker, D.C., P.K. Flottum, D. Sammataro and E.H. Erickson, Jr. 1983. Effects of climatic and edaphic factors on soybean flowers and on the subsequent attractiveness of the plants to honey bees. Field Crops Res. 6: 267-78.

11. Ruiz-Matute, M. Weiss, D. Sammataro, J. Finley and M. Luz Sanz. 2010. Carbohydrate composition of High-Fructose Corn Syrups (HFCS) used for bee feeding: effect on honey composition. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58: 7317–7322.

12. Sammataro D, E.H. Erickson, Jr. and M.B. Garment. 1985. Ultrastructure of the sunflower (Helianthus) nectary. J. Apicultural Research 24(3): 150-160.

13. Sammataro D, G. Degrandi-Hoffman, N Ostiguy, G. Wardell and J. Finley. 2004. Testing a combination of control strategies to manage Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) population levels in honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies. Internat. J. Acarology. 30:71-76.

14. Sammataro D, M.B. Garment & E.H. Erickson, Jr. 1985. Anatomical features of the sunflower floret. Helia (FAO, Romania):25-31.

15. Sammataro D, S. Cobey, B.H. Smith and G.R. Needham. 1994. Controlling tracheal mites (Acari: Tarsonemidae) in honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) with vegetable oil. J. Econ. Entomol. 57(4): 910-916.

16. Sammataro D, U. Gerson and G.R. Needham. 2000. Parasitic mites of honey bees: life history, implications and impact. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 45: 517-546. ParasiticMitesOfHoneyBees.pdf

17. Sammataro D. 2004. Tropilaelaps infestation of honey bees (Troplilaelaps clareae, T. koenigerum). In OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals, 5th ed. Office Internat. Epizoot. Paris, France. Vol. 2: 992-995.

18. Sammataro D. 2006. An easy dissection technique for finding tracheal mites (Acari: Tarsonemidae) in honey bees (w/ Video link). Intern. J. Acarology, 32:339-343. http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/docs.htm?docid=14370.

19. Sammataro D. and G.R. Needham. 1996. Developing an integrated pest management (IPM) scheme for managing parasitic bee mites. Amer. Bee J. 136: 440-443.

20. Sammataro D. and G.R. Needham. 1996. Host-seeking behaviour of tracheal mites (Acari: Tarsonemidae) on honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Exp. Appl. Acarology, 20: 121-136.

21. Sammataro D., M. B. Garment and E. H. Erickson, Jr. 1985.Anatomical features of the sunflower floret. Helia (FAO, Romania) (8): 25-31.

22. Sammataro D., P. Untalan, F. Guerrero and J. Finley. 2005. The resistance of varroa mites (Acari: Varroidae) to acaricides and the presence of esterase. International J. Acarology, 31:67-74.

23. Sammataro, D. 2011. Global status of bee mites. 2011. In Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions. Sammataro/Yoder eds. CRC Press: Taylor & Francis Group. Pp. 37-54.

24. Sammataro, D. and J. Finley. 2004. Observations of the ectoparasitic bee mite Varroa destructor in honey bee (Apis mellifera) cells infected with chalkbrood (Ascosphaera apis). J. Apicultural Research, 43 (1): 28-30.

25. Sammataro, D. J. Finley. 2007. The developmental changes of immature African and four lines of European honey bee workers. Apiacta. 42:64 – 72.

26. Sammataro, D., B. LeBlanc, M. J. Carroll, J. Finley, and M.T. Torabi. 2010. Antioxidants in wax cappings of honey bee brood. J. Apicultural Research and Bee World 49(4): 293-301. DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.49.4.01

27. Sammataro, D., Finley, J., Leblanc, B., Wardell, G., Ahumada-Segura, F., Carroll, M. J. 2009. Feeding essential oils and 2-heptanone in sugar syrup and liquid protein diets to honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) as potential varroa mite (Varroa destructor) controls. J. Apicultural Research, 48 (4): 256-262.

28. Sammataro, D., J. Cicero. 2010. Functional morphology of the honey stomach wall of European honey bees (Apis mellifera L. ) as viewed by SEM. Annals Entomol. Soc. Am.. Section A, 103(6):979-987. DOI: 10.1603/AN09111. URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1603/AN09111.

29. Sammataro, D., J. Finley, and R. Underwood. 2008. Comparing oxalic acid and Sucrocide™ treatments for Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) control under desert conditions. J. Econ. Entomol. 101(4): 1057-1061.

30. Tarpy, D. R., J.R. Caren, D. A. Delaney, D. Sammataro, J. Finley, G. M. Loper, and G. DeGrandi-Hoffman. 2010. Mating frequencies of Africanized honey bees in the southwestern United States. J. Apic. Res. 49(4): 302-310. DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.49.4.02

31. Vásquez A., Olofsson T.C. and D. Sammataro. 2009. A scientific note on the lactic acid bacterial flora discovered in the honey stomach of Swedish 1 honeybees – a continuing study on honeybees in the USA. Apidologie. 40: 26-28.

32. Yoder J. A., B. S. Christensen, T. J. Croxall, J. L.Tank, D. Sammataro. 2008. Suppression of growth rate of colony-associated fungi by high fructose corn syrup feeding supplement, formic acid, and oxalic acid. J. Apicultural Research 47(2): 127–131.

33. Yoder, J. and D. Sammataro. 2003. Potential to control of Varroa mites (Acari: Varroidae) using chemical ecology. Internat. J. Acarology. 29: 139-143.

34. Yoder, J., D. Sammataro, J.A. Peterson, G.R. Needham and W.A. Bruce. 1999. Water requirements of adult females of the honey bee parasitic mites, Varroa jacobsoni. (Acari: Varroidae) and implications for control. Internat. J. Acarology. 25: 329-335.

35. Yoder, J.A. , D. J. Heydinger, B. Z. Hedges, D. Sammataro and G. DeGrandi-Hoffman. 2011. Critical transition temperature (CTT) of chalkbrood fungi and its significance for disease incidence. In Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions. Sammataro/Yoder eds. CRC Press: Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 131-144.

36. Yoder, J.A. , D. J. Heydinger, B. Z. Hedges, D. Sammataro, J. Finley, G. DeGrandi-Hoffman, T. J. Croxall and B.S. Christensen. 2011. Fungicides reduce symbiotic fungi in bee bread and the beneficial fungi in colonies. In Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions. Sammataro/Yoder, eds. CRC Press: Taylor & Francis. pp.193-192.

37. Yoder, J.A., B. Z. Hedges, D. J. Heydinger, D. Sammataro and G. DeGrandi-Hoffman. 2011. Differences among fungicides targeting beneficial fungi associated with honey bee colonies. In Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions. Sammataro/Yoder, eds. CRC Press: Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 193-214.

 

MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION OR REVIEW

Sammataro, D. and M. Weiss. 2012. Comparison of Productivity between Honey Bee Colonies Supplemented with Sucrose or High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). J. Insect Sci. accepted.

Sammataro, D., L. deGuzman, L. Royce and R. Ochoa. Tracheal Mites. 2012. COLLOSS BeeBook. http://www.coloss.org/beebook/introduction. Bern, Switzerland. In prep.

 

VIDEOS AND WEB PAGE

Sammataro, D. and S.L. Arlinghaus. 2009. “Bee Ranges and Almond Orchard Locations: Contemporary Visualization.” Solstice: An Electronic Journal of Geography and Mathematics. Volume XX, Number 1. Ann Arbor: Institute of Mathematical Geography. General link: http://www.imagenet.org/. Direct link to article: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~copyrght/image/solstice/sum09/BeeRangesAlmonds.html. Link to permanent archive: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/58219

ANIMAPS Institute of Mathematical Geography, S.L. Arlinghaus, W. D. Drake, and J. D. Nystuen (University of Michigan and Community Systems Foundation) with data and other input from A. Laug, K. S. Oswalt, D. Sammataro; University of Michigan; Community Systems Foundation; Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, (respectively). Animated map of the spread of the Varroa mite: http://www.mylovedone.com/image/solstice/win10/SammataroandArlinghaus

VARROA MITES: Life Cycle, Detection and Control. 1999. Penn State University AV Dept. D. Sammataro, producer/writer. Second place winner at 1999 Apimondia Conference, Vancouver, B.C.

TRACHEAL MITES 1994. Dissecting mites using the tracheal pull method and 1995 Host-seeking behavior of tracheal mites on honey bees. D. Sammataro, producer/writer. R. Smith, Vesta Video Productions, Toledo, OH.

 

Publications: Books

ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture, 41^st Edition. A.I. Root Co. 2007. Contributing Author.

Flottum, P.K. and D. Sammataro. 1988. The New Starting Right with Bees. A.I. Root Co., Medina OH.

Sammataro D. and A. Harman. 2012. Major Plants Important to Honey Bees: NE and Mid-Atlantic States. Flip/ID booklet. Alpha Graphics, Tucson.

Sammataro, D. and A. Avitabile. 2011. The Beekeeper’s Handbook. 4^th edition. Cornell University Press, Ithaca: NY.

Sammataro, D. and J.A. Yoder, eds. 2011. Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions. CRC Press: Taylor and Francis Group.

Sammataro, D. 1978. Wrote directions for new beekeepers while overseas as: Lesson Plans for Beekeeping in the Philippines, 1978. U.S. Peace Corps, http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/philippines/#1

Sammataro, D. 1995. Studies on the control, behavior and molecular markers of the tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi [Rennie]) of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Ph.D. dissertation. The Ohio State University, Columbus OH.

Sammataro, D. 1997. Diptera (Flies). R.A. Morse, ed. Honey Bee Pests, Predators and Diseases, 3rd edition. pp 145-160. The A.I. Root Co., Medina OH.

 

NON-SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

DeGrandi-Hoffman, G., D. Sammataro and R. Alarcon. 2009. The importance of microbes in nutrition and health of honey bee colonies - Part I of Three. Amer. Bee J. 149 (6):583-4.

DeGrandi-Hoffman, G., D. Sammataro and R. Alarcon. 2009. The importance of microbes in nutrition and health of honey bee colonies - Part II of Three. Amer. Bee J. 149 (7): 667-9.

DeGrandi-Hoffman, G., R. Vreeland, D. Sammataro and R. Alarcon. 2009. The importance of microbes in nutrition and health of honey bee colonies - Part III of Three. Amer. Bee J. 149 (8): 755-7.

Loper, G.M., D. Sammataro, J. Finley and J. Cole. 2006. Feral honey bees in Southern Arizona, 10 years after Varroa infestation. Amer. Bee J. 146: 521-524.

Sammataro D, G. Degrandi-Hoffman, G.R. Needham and G. Wardell. 1998. Some volatile plant oils as potential control agents for varroa mites (Acari:Varroidae) in honey bee colonies (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Amer. Bee J. 138: 681-685.

Sammataro D, J. Finley and S. Camazine. 1999. Shipping conditions of honey bee queens. Amer. Bee J. 139: 713-16.

Sammataro D, N Ostiguy, M. Frazier. 2002 How to use a PSU/ IPM Varroa board. Amer. Bee J. 142:363-366.

Sammataro D. 1996. Mechanisms of bee resistance/tolerance to varroa mites. Amer. Bee J. 136: 567-68.

Sammataro D. 1996. Tracheal mites can be suppressed by oil patties. Amer. Bee J. 136: 279-282.

Sammataro D. 1997. Report on parasitic honey bee mites and disease associations. Amer. Bee J. 137: 301-302.

302.Sammataro D. and G.R. Needham. 1996. Developing an integrated pest management (IPM) scheme for managing parasitic bee mites. Amer. Bee J. 136: 440-443.\

Sammataro D. 2006. Mites of the Honey Bee. Bee Craft, 88:14-19.

Sammataro D. and G.R. Needham. 1996. How oil affects the behavior of tracheal mites. Amer. Bee J. 136: 511-514.

Sammataro, D. 2002. Honey bees are your swimming pool: not a good mix. August Master Gardner’s Newsletter, Tucson AZ.

Sammataro, D. 2009. Sweetness and Mites. Natural History Magazine. 118 (5): 56.

Sammataro, D. J. Finley. 2007. Tucson bee lab to test high fructose corn syrup. Am. Bee J. 147: 1007-8.

Vásquez A., Olofsson T.C. and D. Sammataro. 2009. Swedish scientists have solved honey´s enigma. Amer. Bee J. 149: 1169-1171.

 

Bee Culture Magazine Articles

1979 Sept. 114: 458-9: Beekeeping in the Philippines.

1986 May, pp. 251-253: Landscaping for home and hive; Aug. pp. 422: Landscaping for home and hive, II; Sept. pp. 461-2: Collecting Honey Bee Stamps; Nov. p. 584: Early Winters: Antique Equipment.

1987 Jan. 115:42: Bee Flora: The Milkweeds.

1988 March 116: 139-141: Apiphilately; Dec. pp. 700-1,709, 722: Res. Review.

1989 Jan. 117: 10-15, 54: May the Forest Be With You; Wax Flowers (20-21); Feb. pp. 108-11: Package Primer (w/ K. Flottum); March pp. 160-163: Package Primer II; April pp. 226-7: Package Primer III; May pp. 297, 303: Raising Waxies; July pp. 406-7: Duct Tales. (w/ K. Flottum); Aug. pp. 477-479: Simply Wax; Sept. pp. 532-3: Making Molded Candles.

1990 Jan. 118: 20-6: Deserts, Droughts and the Drying of the American West; April pp. 220-22: Ukrainian Easter; Tracking Tracheal Mites (206-8); May pp. 284-6: Long Live the Queen; Aug. p. 493: Stamps in the News; Oct. pp. 596-9: Making Craftwax and Foundation Candles; Nov. pp. 663-5: Honey Candy.

1991 Jan. 119: 32-38: Erosion.

1992 July 120: 393, 396-400: Conducting a honey bee emergency demonstration (now a video).

1993 July 121: 393-5: Perfect rounds.

1994 Jan. 122: 30-39: Races. w/PK Flottum

1995 Feb. 123: 80-81: 9th International Congress of Acarology: A honey bee mite round table. w/ E. Sugden & K. Williams

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

1. Research Entomologist, Carl Hayden Honey Bee Research Lab. Dates Employed: 03/2002 to present. Duties: Work on developing a novel approach to managing bees and parasitic mites and research on pollination problems.

2. Research Assistant, Dept. Entomology, Penn State University, 501 ASI Bldg., University Park, PA 16802. Dates Employed: 06/1998 to 03/2002. Duties: Applied research on IPM controls of bee mites. Conduct experiments, collect data, write results and give presentations. Worked with an IPM program for managing honey bee mites. Developed easier monitoring boards for Varroa mites; photographed bee plants for web page; looking to alternative pollinators for important commercial crops and native plants; explored the effects sub-lethal pesticides may have on these pollinators. For six months, worked part-time in the Plant Pathology Department working with the Plum Pox Virus of Stone Fruits. Helped write and publish ID guides, extension and public outreach information with Maryanne Frazier.

3. Ohio State University/ OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691. Dates Employed: 09/1995 to 04/1998. Duties: Worked as a post-doc at the Bee Lab working under the BARD grant (under Dr. Glen Needham) on the IPM bee mite program.

4. Ohio State University, Dept Entomology, 103 B & Z Bldg., Columbus, OH 43210-1220. Dates 09/1991 to 06/1995. Duties: Teaching assistant for biology, then a post doc. Developed a sugar/oil patty to control tracheal mites. Dr. Glen Needham.

5. Sales Manager, Bee Supplies. A.I. Root Company, 623 W. Liberty Street, Medina, OH 44256. Dates Employed: 06/1988 to 09/1991. Duties: Manage beekeeping equipment and supply sales, dealers and customer service; write ads, bee literature and equipment instructions; maintain company hives, give tours, and R&D for new equipment.

 

Other Bee Related jobs

09/1981-06/1983 Research Assistant. USDA Honey Bee Research Lab. Madison, WI. Assist in research of floral UV patterns for sunflowers; SEM and TEM of flower and honey bee structures; field and work; teach labs and classes, give demonstrations.

1978–1981 Peace Corps Volunteer. Honey Bee Specialist; Philippines. Wrote teaching handbook, conducted seminars, field research on Varroa mites, taught entomology at local university, assisted in cottage industries development.

 

job-related courses

2008 Coaching Skills for Managers and Supervisors, Fred Pryor Seminars

2006 Teambuilding and Leadership Training, Skillpath

2006 Laboratory Safety Training Certificate, U of Arizona, Tucson

2005 Summer Program for Acarology, Introduction to Acarology, Ohio State Univ., (OSU) Columbus, OH

2005 Presenting Data and Information, Edward Tufte; Phoenix, AZ

2001 Master Gardener’s Course, Penn State University, Univ. Park, PA

2000 Forensic Entomology, K.C. Kim, Penn State

1995 Summer Program for Acarology, Mites/ticks of medical and veterinary importance, (OSU)

1994 Instrumental Insemination of Honey Bee Queens, Susan Cobey, instructor OSU

1992 Summer Program for Acarology, Agricultural Mites, OSU

 

PRESENTATIONS

2012

Jan. Pima Co. Cooperative Ext., Family Consumer Sci. Amer. Honey Producers, Phoenix AZ, Amer. Bee Federation, Las Vegas NV.

Feb. Marin Co. Beekeepers, CA.

March Tucson Festival of Books, Science City, BIO5 and UA College of Science; Big Bee Buzz, Tulsa, OK.

2011

March Bluegrass Bee School, Frankfort, KY; What is a mite?, Current research, and Varroa monitoring. Invited speaker 500 attended.

July: Summer Program for Acarology, Columbus OH; Impact of Varroa mites. Invited speaker

July: Eastern Apiculture Soc. Invited speaker.

Sept. Plant Science Family Night, Ventana Vista School, Tucson AZ

Nov. Entomological Soc. Am.

2010

Jan. Orlando, FL. National Bee meetings.

Feb. Colorado State Beekeepers and Boulder area Beekeepers.

August: WAS, Salem OR

Oct.. Marin Co. Beekeepers, CA.

Nov. Workshop on varroa, invited speaker. Bern, Switzerland.

Dec. Ent. Soc. Am. and Almond board

2009

Jan: American Beekeeping Fed., Am. Honey Producers (Fresno, CA)

Feb. Apiary Inspectors of Am. and Am. Assoc. Professional Apiculturists, Gainesville FL

Feb. Chester County Beekeepers, Advanced Course; PA

March: Southeastern MI Beekeepers Conference, Livonia MI

May: Helsingborg Area Beekeepers, Helsingborg, Sweden

Oct. ND Beekeepers Convention, Minot ND.

Dec: Entomological Soc. of Amer. National Meetings,

2008

Jan: Joint meetings American Beekeeping Fed., Am. Honey Producers and Am. Assoc. Professional Apiculturists; Sacramento.

April: Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute, Tucson AZ.

July: Better Bee Field Day (invited, 200 participants), Greenwich, NY.

Sept. Prevention of Honeybee COLony LOSSes conference in Belfast, UK, 6-8.09.2008 (invited) not attending.

Dec. Almond Board of CA. Modesto

2007

Feb.: Indiana Beekeepers Assoc. (invited); 400 attendees.

May: American Museum of Natural History, NYC: Bees: Sweetness and Mites.

July: Western National Parks Association, Oro Valley, AZ.

Aug: Eastern Apicultural Society, Delaware; Western Apicultural Soc., Tucson.

Sept: Tucson Botanical Gardens

Dec: Entomological Soc. of Amer. National Meetings, San Diego, CA.

2006

Jan: National meetings: American Honey Producers, Houston, TX; American Beekeeping Federation Louisville, KY.

Feb: NC State Beekeepers, Asheville NC

March: KS/MO beekeepers, Overland Park, KS; Michigan State Univ. ANR week, E. Lansing MI; 24^th Annual Science and Math Conf. for 7-12^th grade women in S. Arizona, Un. of AZ, Tucson (panel).

April: Ulster Beekeepers’ Assoc. (N. Ireland) and 24th Annual Science and Math Conf. (WISE), Un. of AZ, Tucson (panel).

July: Western Apiculture Society, Buelton, CA (Now President)

Aug: International Acarology Congress, Amsterdam.

Oct: Oregon State Beekeepers, Newport.

Nov: Empire State Beekeepers, Syracuse NY, and S.E. New England Beekeepers, Hamden, CT.

Dec: Almond Board of California, National Meeting and Entomological Soc. Am.

2005

Jan. National meetings: American Honey Producers, Tucson, AZ, American Beekeeping Federation and American Assoc. Professional Apiculturists, Reno NV.

July: Heartland Apiculture Assoc., Edwardsville, IL July 7-9.

Aug: Apimondia (Dublin, Ireland); and Apimondia XXXIX 2005, Dublin. Ireland. Poster on bee volatiles; Chair an OIE workshop on Tropilaelaps, World Organization of Animal Health.

Oct: Oregon State BKA.

Nov: Entomol. Soc. Am. Ft. Lauderdale FL. Moderator, (POSTPONED); TX State BKA, Corpus Christie.

Dec. Almond Board of CA, report on Oxalic research

2004

Jan: National meetings: American Honey Producers and American Beekeeping Federation.

April: Mass. State Beekeepers; Rhode Island State Beekeepers

June: Master Gardeners, Tucson AZ

July: North Carolina State Beekeepers, Charlotte

Sept: First European Conference of Apidology, and European Group for Integrated Varroa Control http://web.uniudd.it/eurbee/ Udine, ITALY

Nov Idaho Honey Industry Assoc., and Entomological Soc. of Am. Salt Lake City, UT; Acarology Section

Dece: Colorado State Beekeepers, Denver

 

BIO

Diana Sammataro, co-author of the Beekeeper’s Handbook (4^th ed. 2011), began keeping bees in 1972 in Litchfield, CT, setting up a colony in her maternal grandfather’s old bee hive equipment. From then on, she decided that her B.S. in Landscape Architecture (Un. of Michigan, Ann Arbor), would not be a career, but that honey bees would. After a year of independent studies on floral pollination (Michigan State Un. Bee Lab, East Lansing), she earned an M.S. in Urban Forestry (Un. Michigan, Ann Arbor). In 1978 she joined Peace Corps and taught beekeeping in the Philippines for 3 years. On returning, she worked at the USDA Bee Lab in Madison, WI under Dr. Eric Erickson, studying the effects of plant breeding and flower attraction of bees in sunflower lines. When the lab closed, she eventually went to work at the A.I. Root Company as Bee Supply Sales Manager in Medina OH. In 1991 she was accepted at the Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Lab at The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) to study for a Ph.D. under Drs. Brian Smith and Glen Needham. In 1995, she worked as a post-doctoral assistant at the Ohio State University Ag. Research Center in Wooster OH, with Dr. James Tew and in 1998 at the Penn State University Bee lab, (State College, PA) with Maryann Frazier and Dr. Nancy Ostiguy. Early in 2002, she was invited to join the USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Honey Bee Research Center in Tucson AZ. Her current position is a Research Entomologist with Dr. G. DeGrandi-Hoffman and staff. Her current work at the lab includes research on bee nutrition problems, Varroa, proteomics of bees and mites, and pollination problems. Her current goal is to do more extension work and teaching, and to expand and share her knowledge on a broader arena, as well as to foster and promote understanding that all pollinating species are important to human health and survival.

ABSTRACT of Dissertation

Title: Studies on the control, behavior, and molecular markers of the tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi (Rennie)) of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae).

Abstract: The endoparasitic mite, A. woodi (Rennie), a pest of honey bees Apis mellifera L., infests most bee colonies in the United States and has been responsible for 60% of colony losses. Under field conditions, patties made from solid vegetable shortening and white sugar, with or without the addition of an antibiotic, depressed mite populations when applied continuously to bees. Treatment was significant (Site 1, F_2,165=14.95; P<0.001; Site 2, F_2,96=5.541; P<0.001). To understand why shortening/sugar patties gave bees some protection, mite behavior was videotaped on callow bees (<4 days old), dead bees and bees exposed to an oil patty. Two behaviors were observed and more closely studied. “Habitat-seeking” behavior, when mites seek out a new oviposition site, was disrupted on both dead and oil-treated bees. “Questing” behavior, associated with mite transfer between hosts, increased on dead and oily bees. Both questing (F_2,66 =7.88; P<0.001) and habitat-seeking (F_2,66=21.28, P<0.001) behaviors were significantly different between all three treatments. Oil-treated bees gained protection from habitat-seeking mites because the normal behavior of the mites is interrupted. Questing behavior increased significantly on dead and oily bees, thus exposing the mites for a longer time and increasing the chances of desiccation. In the decade since its introduction here, the lethal effects of this mite seem to diminish. To determine if this was a change in the lethality of mite populations, infested bees from several states were collected and the mites dissected. RAPDs was used to track possible shifts in genetic markers. Problems of reaction protocols, contamination and clean negative controls were mostly solved by using HPLC water that was not treated to UV light. PCR parameters where annealing temperatures ranged from 38-45C also produced good results. However, because of extremely low mite DNA concentrations, the results were inconclusive. By testing a dilution series using one bee, it was found that as the concentration of DNA diminished to 0.038ng/ul, more bands in the gel appeared. RAPDs was not a good method of choice; this question still needs to be explored as future techniques are refined.